One hundred Missouri parks employees who did their jobs were notified by e-mail that they are being laid off, but Jay Nixon appointees who don't do their jobs are still on the payroll. We believe the decision was needlessly rushed out the door to protect Mark Templeton, who was still under suspension.
One employee remarked that the timing was "suspicious", given the DNR's recent unpopularity for withholding water safety test results - a direct product of the Nixon political machine.
The proposed cuts are expected to reduce the state parks department by approximately one eighth of its previous size, and are expected to save 3.7 million dollars this fiscal year. How that stacks up to the damage done to Lake of the Ozarks tourism by the Nixon administration is unknown.
That competent and reliable employees are losing their jobs while bumbling and dishonest political appointees keep theirs is a disgrace.
The decision also has the State Park Advisory Board up in arms, because it was never notified that the DNR was considering layoffs. Its combined experience far exceeds the tenure of Deputy DNR Director Bill Bryan, who was Nixon's CIO before becoming Templeton's temporary replacement. Ed Martin, the former chief of staff to Gov. Matt Blunt and a member of the board, has argued that the DNR should have explored other options first.
The call was rushed - the DNR doesn't even know if it can fire all 100 employees it notified, and doubtlessly some will have to stay. We think the decision and its announcement, which was sent by e-mail, after all, was rushed to protect Mark Templeton, so it wouldn't land on his doorstep so soon after being reinstated.
Innocent DNR employees are being put up on the chopping block because of the Nixon Administration's lies.
It's just one more example of the lengths Nixon will go to in order to protect his political appointees from the consequences of their actions. But survival instincts must also have been in play - having Templeton make the announcement would force more negative attention on his dereliction of duty, and also on Nixon, who was involved in E.Coli-Gate from the very beginning.
Jeff Mazur, Jack Cardetti, Mark Templeton and others all still have their jobs. It's a miscarriage of justice.
One employee remarked that the timing was "suspicious", given the DNR's recent unpopularity for withholding water safety test results - a direct product of the Nixon political machine.
The proposed cuts are expected to reduce the state parks department by approximately one eighth of its previous size, and are expected to save 3.7 million dollars this fiscal year. How that stacks up to the damage done to Lake of the Ozarks tourism by the Nixon administration is unknown.
That competent and reliable employees are losing their jobs while bumbling and dishonest political appointees keep theirs is a disgrace.
The decision also has the State Park Advisory Board up in arms, because it was never notified that the DNR was considering layoffs. Its combined experience far exceeds the tenure of Deputy DNR Director Bill Bryan, who was Nixon's CIO before becoming Templeton's temporary replacement. Ed Martin, the former chief of staff to Gov. Matt Blunt and a member of the board, has argued that the DNR should have explored other options first.
The call was rushed - the DNR doesn't even know if it can fire all 100 employees it notified, and doubtlessly some will have to stay. We think the decision and its announcement, which was sent by e-mail, after all, was rushed to protect Mark Templeton, so it wouldn't land on his doorstep so soon after being reinstated.
Innocent DNR employees are being put up on the chopping block because of the Nixon Administration's lies.
It's just one more example of the lengths Nixon will go to in order to protect his political appointees from the consequences of their actions. But survival instincts must also have been in play - having Templeton make the announcement would force more negative attention on his dereliction of duty, and also on Nixon, who was involved in E.Coli-Gate from the very beginning.
Jeff Mazur, Jack Cardetti, Mark Templeton and others all still have their jobs. It's a miscarriage of justice.
Comments